Carey Mulligan has a new award-contending movie coming out in 2022 called She Said. The movie tells the story of the New York Times journalists who helped unveil the story of the women involved in the Harvey Weinstein abuse and misconduct case, and in it Mulligan plays Megan Twohey, one of the two journalists who helped break the story. The prestige film looks likely to earn the actor another chance at year-end awards.
Heading into this movie, Mulligan has already racked up two Best Actress nominations at the Academy Awards and Golden Globes for An Education and Promising Young Woman, and she is still waiting to win her first. The surprising truth is that Mulligan has only been acting for 17 years now, getting her big break in 2005 at the age of 20. But she has starred in a lot of great movies, and Metacritic reviewers have heaped praise on the best of them.
Never Let Me Go (2010) - 69
Now streaming on MAX Go
Never Let Me Go was a dystopian sci-fi film starring a group of actors who became multi-time Oscar nominees. Andrew Garfield, Keira Knightley, and Carey Mulligan led in the movie about a group of teens raised at a boarding school with the sole purpose of being organ donors and then dying in their 20s.
Mulligan plays Kathy, one of the organ donors who becomes involved in a love triangle with Garfield's Tommy and Knightley's Ruth. The movie is a tragedy, and critics praised the acting performances, specifically Mulligan's role as she watched her friends die.
Shame (2011) - 72
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received the dreaded NC-17 rating.
Interestingly, Mulligan had a chance to show off her singing and musical talents, something that she hasn't exhibited much in other movies. She plays the sister of Fassbender's Brandon, a sex addict and the leading character in the film. When she forcibly moves in with her brother, she brings a burden to his life. Mulligan shined here as a woman who had to show vulnerability, and she brought the most change to the character through her tragic actions.
The Dig (2021) - 73
Now streaming on Netflix
The Dig was an award-contending movie that arrived on Netflix in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. While it was highly praised by critics on Metacritic, it came and went with little fanfare. The movie was based on a true story about people searching for buried treasure.
Carey Mulligan starred as Edith Pretty, a widow who hired an archeologist played by Ralph Fiennes, to unearth one of the most significant finds of the 20th century. Critics praised the performances, with particular accolades going to Mulligan, Johnny Flynn, and Lily James.
Promising Young Woman (2020) - 73
Now streaming on HBO Max
Promising Young Woman was one of two movies that Carey Mulligan picked up an Oscar and Golden Globe nomination for. In the movie, released in 2020, she starred as Cassie, a woman seeking vengeance against men she believes were responsible for raping her college friend, who then died by suicide.
In a difficult and controversial role, critics called it the best role of Mulligan's career, resulting in a great deal of awards attention, but still no major win for the actress.
Drive (2011) - 78
Now streaming on Tubi and DirecTV
Released in 2011, Ryan Gosling stars as the driver who takes an interest in his neighbor, Irene, played by Carey Mulligan.
Irene lives with her young son while her husband served a prison sentence, and when her husband returns home, the driver decides he needs to help her get to a better place. It was an almost thankless role for Mulligan, but she held her own as a woman who needed help but was too prideful to ask for it.
Wildlife (2018) - 80
Now streaming on AMC+ and DirecTV
Wildlife was a period piece that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2018 before getting a small theatrical release. However, critics loved it and those on Metacritic awarded it with an impressive 80 score. Carey Mulligan and Jake Gyllenhaal star as Jeanette and Joe Brinson, a couple whose marriage dissolves when Joe loses his job.
The couple has a son, and when Jeanette begins to have an affair, it has a negative effect on him. Mulligan received high praise for her performance as a woman who just wants to find a better life for her and her child, and she earned a Best Female Lead nomination from the Independent Spirit Awards for the film.
Pride & Prejudice (2005) - 82
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Carey Mulligan appeared in her first movie in 2005 with Joe Wright's regency-era romance drama Pride & Prejudice. While 20 at the time, Mulligan played one of the young teenage Bennett sisters. While she didn't have the biggest role, she was still a source of humor in the movie.
Mulligan played Kitty Bennett and spent much of her time with Jena Malone's Lydia, as they kept hitting up the military boys, trying to find a future husband. It was a good start to Mulligan's career and the best was yet to come.
Mudbound (2017) - 85
Now streaming on Netflix
The best Mudbound. The movie didn't reach the top for Metacritic reviewers, but was still highly respected with an 85 score. This Netflix movie focused on two World War II veterans, one white and one black, and their reintegration back into the world.
Critics praised the movie, which dealt with issues like racism and PTSD, and received four Oscar nominations, including for Mary J. Blige's performance. Mulligan starred as Laura, the wife of Jason Clarke's Henry. While it was Blige who received the most praise, Mulligan carried her own weight and then some as the Southern wife.
An Education (2009) - 85
Now streaming on Hulu
Carey Mulligan got her second Oscar nomination for her lead role in the prestige pic, An Education. In the movie, Mulligan starred as Jenny, a girl attending Oxford University, where she was a bright, intelligent student. However, she met an older man who changed her life.
This was Mulligan's first lead role, only four years into her career, and that made her Oscar nomination even more impressive. Critics pointed out Mulligan's standout performance, and she went on to win the BAFTA for Best Actress in a Leading Role.
Inside Llewyn Davis (2013) - 93
Now streaming on Fubo, Showtime, and DirecTV
The best-rated movie that Carey Mulligan ever starred in, according to Metacritic, was the Coen Brothers movie Inside Llewyn Davis. Oscar Isaac led the star-studded cast as a struggling folk musician in New York City.
This movie gave Mulligan a second chance to sing in a film, something she also did in Shame. She starred alongside Isaac and a real singer in Justin Timberlake, but still managed to hold her own and seemed very authentic in her role as Timberlake's wife Jean.
